snap

Was looking to make a fishing trip somewhat soon but by my estimates, without much more rain, it looks like the river might not be fishable until the 2nd week or so in November. This is also rifle season for deer. If I was on the river during deer season, would I run into a large number of hunters and does Whiten and Turner fill up with campers???

Found it....thx ....the river is a jewel!!!

lilley....I read a post you had on the 11 Point and your recent trip , quickly, because I was pressed for time. Now I cannot find it! It was wonderful and would like to spend more time reading it and checking out the pics and video....where did it go???

x

...whatever it was....great story!!!

WE haven't used minnows very often, but the locals swear by them!!! IMO, they would work just as well after a stocking. I am not sure what type of powerbait you are referring to, but if it is the stuff in the jar that you mold to a treble hook, I would not use it....it will not stay on the hook for more than one cast in the good trout water!!! White river drift rigs should work just as well....even though I am not much of a drift and fish fisherman.....hard to handle canoe for me and fish at same time....but there are some in our group who prefer that way of fishing!!! I pull over and wade fish or tie up the canoe/boat. I use split shot...with the amount and position changing depending on current!!! One of our keys to catching is to get the split shot bouncing the bottom with the current....too much = lots of hangups and too little = the bait sitting on top of the water after the current carries it as far as it can. Another key for us is to use the right line...6 lb test, low vis green,...white or blue line has never worked for anyone in our group!!!Have also used worms in the past....will get action of some kind on almost every cast...have caught trout, chub minnows, sculpins, crawfish, etc..... Will also add here that the sand bars are looking good for camping and there is plenty of firewood around due to the ice storm this past winter!!! There is also lots of water beautiful water flowing!!! We did have a good time....but worked hard to catch the fish!!! IMO, if the fishing is toooo easy, that isn't much fun!!! Good luck ozark trout fisher and let us know when you are going and how you do.....!!!

Got a late start Thursday, about the time it started raining, we got on the river. Went up river from Whiten to Tumbling Shoals and worked our way down river. Action was slow....for a while....hit a hole where the fish all of a sudden turned on. Caught em between 9 and 16 inches on egg patterns and minnows. Do not know for sure how many we caught, but had plenty of action to keep us fishing considering we were miserable. Also missed our share of fish....got off the river at 5:30. Friday, by choice, we got a late start. We waited for the drizzle to stop. Got on the river about the same time as Thursday, but headed down river from Whiten. Hit a hole again where they turned on....caught a few...but headed back to Whiten to meet a member of our party at 4:00. After he failed to show, we headed back to the hole we had just left! They had turned off!!! Continued down river to Greenbriar and then fished our way back up river. Things were slow....it was cold....a bit windy....but we were dressed for it and Delvis and I both agreed it was MUCH more comfortable than the day before in the rain. About 6:30, we tied off and fished the hole above White's Creek....got lucky.....fish turned on for us again!!!Many fish caught had been eating well!!! Fished as long as we could before darkness became an issue!!! The fish are there, they just seem a bit more seasoned....and smarter!!! The bite both days were soft.....and if you didn't get them right away....you weren't gonna get em!!! Had to fish a bit differently than usual....they would follow line in when retrieving, so , we would have to not be in a hurry to crank it in...pull rod tip up, then let it drift back with the current....!!! Fishing was tough...but another good time on the river!!!

Next question Brian! After the shock, are the fish "loop de doo" for a while and not in the biting mood, or, will it be no different than normal? The reason we ask is we are planning to fish Turner to Whiten Thursday...but if they might be shut down, we might want to do the whiten to riverton route. Thanks in advance!

...Julty 18, 2009

Jim...adding my two cents here!!! Do the Turner to Whiten float! Great sceneryand plenty of stops to wade. This is probably our favorite. Plenty of minnows in the river and easy to seine.

...congrats Mark on your best started thread to date!!!

Definitely not an expert here....and also have trouble catching fish(trout) in the slow deep pools between Turner and Riverton. It has come to the point where I bypass them for the moving water and pools at the back of the moving water. My reasoning and thoughts are that trout feed more actively in the moving water ...or, should I say, the active fish are in the faster water. Not saying there are not fish there....just have not had much luck catching them!!!

jd....how far is the float from that access to greer??? and, how far does the road go until it hits the river???

"just for the fun of it" ...has gotten some of you all riled up!!! I agree with delvis....brown trout if no adverse effect on the rainbow. Also, I agree that bait fishing does NOT work for catch and release. I also wish alton was closer to ste genevieve, but, then it would probably resemble the current at van buren!!!....topless from turner to whitten still sounds good to me!!!

Hope you received my reply!!! thanks again!!! snap

....at least I don't look pregnant like one of us does.....!!!

You getting a grade on this essay Mark???...and yes...you were defensive about being a bait fisherman!!! relax...it is Friday!!!

..atta boy lizard....getting us thinking straight again!!!

...only towards canoes that have a motor on it... and a driver that looks about 6'6"" and weighs nearly 300...and if I see anything like that, I will drive circles around it until the big guy starts being nice towards me!!!

fishinwrench.....not true about having to fish from a boat!!! I prefer wading this river to fishing it from a boat or canoe!!! Have always floated to what looks like a good spot to wade, park the canoe or boat, get out and wade. Then have to pass some good spots downriver because I do not want to get stuck on the river after dark. The key to finding firewood after July is to get in the canoe and cross the river to look for it. Load the canoe up, and padddle back across. It is not easy, but all the easy wood is gone long before. As for outlawing jet boats, I used to feel that way also. Unfortunately, I have aged quite a bit since coming to this river and physically am having trouble getting in and out of the canoes. Along these lines, and back to Brian's original post, I would like to see fines for jet boats that do not slow down for canoe, kayak, and drift boat traffic. I would also like to see the McDowell access road and ramp improved!!! There is nothing wrong with the river....that is for sure!!!!

Speaking of campsites...drove through Greer on my way to the Thayer/Valle football game last Saturday and saw all kinds of deer camps along hwy 19 on the east side of the river. I said something to my brother, who was driving, about stopping in Alton to pick up some Don's crawdads but the looks I got from the teenage girls riding in the back seat gave me the impression that they thought I was crazy!!! Did get them to stop at Grandma's Kitchen for a nice lunch instead of eating fast food somewhere in Thayer!!! I would think hwy J would have maybe even more deer camps along it. Anybody know how these people hunt not knowing where other hunters might be and does anybody hunt up and down the river??? Seems to me like it would make fishing less peaceful! BTW, #10 for Thayer, the QB, was way too much for valle. Keep the fishing reports coming!!!!

From Whiten to Riverton....2 really good sites on the river would be 1) what we call "whipporwill camp"....which is the 90 degree bend to the right immediately below the power line that crosses the river. Big gravel bar island with a shaded gravel bar a stone throw away from the island. Shaded gravel bar on the right of the river. Deep hole after shoals...short hole before next run!!! Late in the year...fire wood hard to come by. 2) Bluff Hole....down river from whipporwill....river makes a 90 degree turn to the left. Gravel bar on left...small...but great scenery and good all day fishing. As the shoals begin....you cannot miss seeing the bluff straight ahead!!! Downfall for this site is lack of firewood also!!!

Good to meet you also Ryan!!! It was a beautiful 2 days on the river for us. We walked in at the top of the White Creek hole Friday(getting tougher every year) and were shot after a short nights sleep ...otherwise, we prob would have talked a bit more with you before getting on the river. Fishing was good both days ...egg patterns worked best for me...key was finding the correct weight to get it on the bottom to bounce with the current. Most fish were ..12-13 inches,,,a few colorful ones around 15 inches! I commend you for helping JR out with the moving of a canoe...saw you help him at Turner in July also...!!! Good to see things like that!!! We never make it to town...but need to make it a point to and stop by the store...interested in the crawdad from Don.

First trip to the river Art??